Ha'ir, Saudi Arabia

I had another visit to Ha'ir via the wadi from Dirab and visited the rubbish dumps again and checked the trees by the fish farm for raptors.

The first dump held the juvenile white-crowned black wheatear but no sign of the parent birds. There were also two blackstart and a pair of brown-necked raven flew over. The fish farm trees again held black kite, this time three individuals. The second dump (nearer Old Ha'ir village) held two adult white-crowned black wheatear and a couple of desert lark.

I spent several hours hiking around Ha'ir pivot fields where the best bird was a common quail that I kicked up from the alfalfa. Raptors were accounted for by five common kestrel and two adult male marsh harrier. A single flock of 193 northern lapwing may be the highest count yet for central Saudi Arabia.

Painted lady

Southern grey shrike

Turkestan shrike

Dirab rubbish tip
1 White-crowned black wheatear
2 Blackstart
2 Brown-necked raven

Ha'ir rubbish tip
2 White-crowned black wheatear
2 Desert lark
2 Crested lark
2 Hoopoe
5 African rock martin

KASCT Fish Farm
3 Black kite

Ha'ir pivot fields
2 Marsh harrier
5 Common kestrel
1 Common quail
1 Common snipe
193 Northern lapwing
1 Isabelline wheatear
3 Desert wheatear
1 European stonechat
3 Southern grey shrike
2 Daurian shrike
2 Turkestan shrike
5 Tawny pipit
6 Skylark
1 Lesser short-toed lark